Fun things to do at a VIP ball

[Angelman]

Hi all,

In the FS3 campaign I'm running for my group, my cadre is nearing the end of an assignment given them by a Questing Knight, the reward for which is supposed to be a socialite ball held in their honor at Imperial expense... and I need some inspiration. Have anyone run large socialite get-together dramas in FS? How do you do it? Also, what kinds of things would be fun to have happen at such a ball do you think? I want to steer away from murder mystery, as it has been done too many times and would end the social occasion prematurely. Ideas?

Just to set the stage a little: My cadre (Keddah noble with retinue) is currently working on an assignment for a Questing Knight (actually more like a manager fellow than a frontline hero). The ball will be held to honor the cadre's deeds and accomplishments. This is taking place in Acheon on Criticorum (or another nearby location - suggestions are welcome), and the Questing Knight have promised to invite local dignitaries and visiting VIPs to the occasion. A rivaling cadre will also be there (rivals, not enemies/nemesis), trying to turn the evening to their advantage.

Suggestions? Thanks in advance

[angelicmadrigal]

I've only played something like this in Fading Suns once, but I do it all the time in L5R.

Some of the things we've done at big social gatherings in L5R is: arrange political marriages, deal with hauntings/supernatural events that disrupt the event, get into duels.

What we did in the FS game I played in at a con was snoop around and look for an artifact we were supposed to steal while we were there, so we were basically party crashers.

[Ezekiah]

I assume the ball is a dancing or something like that.

I always put in my socialite games three things:

Bodyguard with good fighting skill and bad temper employed by bad temper nobles.

Sweet and nice young loving-gossip nobles.

Some churchmen ready to arguing about church doctrine.

Regards!

[Angelman]

Marriage: Marriages are alwasy fun, but since this party is held specifically to honor the player cadre (non of who are getting married), this option doesn't work this time around.

Party crashers: This doesn't work either, unless the crashers are some GM characters wanting to spoil the player cadre's party. ...although, that is not a bad idea.

Duels: This is almost a given The noble in the party is a duelist, so I'll have to offer oportunities for duelling.

Haunting: Hm... I'm affraid this will, much like a murder mystery, steal the attention from the party.

Bad-tembered bodyguards: That's doable. I don't know how much fighting I want in this thing though. The social aspects are what I want to explore here.

Gossipy nobles: Check!

Churchmen on a mission: This might work. Could be fun to have a preacher at a Criticorum party



What kinds of plots and setting bits would it be fun to play around with in a Criticorum ball (yes, a dance or something - I haven't decided exactly). It might be fun to have two branches of House al-Malik explode in an argument at the cadre's honor ball, heh heh. Other things?

[angelicmadrigal]

Well if it's honoring the characters you could always do the FS equivalent of a roast for members of the party, and have them take turns (along with NPCs) roasting each other.

[Angelman]

Grummore: Seeing as I write the stuff, yeah, I kind of have privileged information about FS3 :-p (It's a playtesting campaign I'm running)

angelicmadrigal: Forgive my faulty english, but "roast"? What is that? What do you mean? Like, with a flamethrower



The cadre will be allowed to tell their tale and gloat a bit, all to the cheers of those present of course. And I envision there will be quite a lot of mingling and some dancing probably. What else would be going on at a social gathering like this? A banquet for sure. Lecture/propaganda speech ("all hail the Emperor!")? A religious service perhaps? Fireworks? Mud wrestling? Arm werestling? Vorox wrestling? Engineers demonstrating weird and wonderful gadgets? Any ideas?

[Tadeus]

How about a member of the Academy Interatta?

He could invite them to the Academy where they would be asked to give some lectures about the things they did or saw. Or he could try to hire them for some crazy scientific expedition, or ask them to use their newly won connections to find some sponsors for his cause. OR he could try to hire the cadre as one of the sponsors and promise some nice returns, once the expedition finds something valuable. This way they could invest some money, without disrupting your further plot AND gain some friends in scientific circles. (An enemies that don't want the expedition to happen).

[Ezekiah]

What about two Al-Malik and a... let´s say... Imperial diplomat figthing over the mining rights in some distant place?

[Sir Marco]

Freeman of the local area sneak in and start protesting the horrendous conditions of the local Serfs. The players aren't the target for the demonstration.. the freemen just feel that their local lord is not listening so they are airing their grievances any way they can.

One of the cadre that opposes the players will plant one of their items on the players. Then another of the enemy coterie asks for something that the player would need to reach into his pocket for. The player will feel something they don't expect. When they pull it out the other person who planted it will scream Thief! You stole my precious!

The party is interrupted by a vau diplomat. He walks up to the players, hands them a glass globe. Says something poetic, odd and seemingly prophetic. Then walks out.

[Ezekiah]